Earthworks PM40 and AEA R88 mk2 for piano.

[amc252]

Hello,

I'm new to recording and was interested in hearing experiences and opinions regarding two different setups for recording solo piano.

1) Earthworks PM40 bar system, usually placed over the hammers.
I find it a bit odd, since that's not an area from where the sound comes from, but the recordings I have heard were fine. The sound seemed a tiny bit softer than microphones above the harp, and very pleasant, with a rather defined stereo separation, of course.

2) AEA R88 mk2 Stereo Ribbon Mic in Blumlein configuration.
Those I have heard were placed just beside the lip of the instrument. They sounded lovely and very natural. It seems a great setup if one has only one pair of microphones.

Thanks in advance for your feedack.

 

[rob aylestone]

The earthworks is a great system for live sound from a grand - so broadcast and live shows benefit from a decent sounding instrument. The snag is that you need to process it to make the perspective match. So it needs sympathetic reverb and control over the width. It is also quite dependent on the piano being first class. Crushed felt on the pedals often gets picked up worse than with a more distant perspective. I would hire them in for a live show if the artist requested it, but Blumlein (or at least Blumlein style) works best for me. The tricky bit is placement - and as Blumlein's approach was to include the sound of the space, finding the right spot and angles really needs loudspeaker monitoring. Is this possible in your recording. Far less easy to do on headphones, even if they blot out room sound?

It assumes the room sound is as good as the piano sound - so in/out sets the balance. The only thing really is that what you get is a stereo image of the space, and a rather narrow image of the piano because at close distances the 'Blumlein Effect' doesn't work. Pianos behave almost like point sources - no precise note location due to the soundboard. This probably sounds better than bass notes left and treble right that you get with close miking - which sounds a bit artificial. The BBC used to use crossed fig-8s in the treble side cutout regularly, but rarely called it Blumlein unless it was over an orchestra or choir. I heard one person refer to it as "modified Blumlein" but I'm not sure if that was the correct term for how it worked, but it makes sense. I have a few ribbons and that's what I do. A few years back I had to record a specific Yamaha grand in an ordinary house and tried a few mics and placements, and even had one that I moved about experimenting to hear what it heard. It convinced me that grand pianos should be treated as just a big instrument, and stereo is very subjective. I will try to find the video and link it.

Found it

 

[Slouching Raymond]

In a domestic house, the piano is likely to be in a room that is too small for it.
You have an uphill struggle from the start.
Put the mics too close, and you end up with excessive clunking of the piano's mechanical parts.
If it is a grand you're recording, I'd put the mic/mics a bit above the soundboard, away from the hammers.

 

[amc252]

Thanks for the wealth of instructive and articulate information.

To record a grand piano in a hall what do you think would be the best ambient setup to pair with the Earthworks?
1) AB mics on a tail perspective.
2) AB mics at the lip of the piano.
3) AB or ORTF mics a bit away from the piano.